


Shades of Red

by sasna



Category: Gentleman Jack (TV)
Genre: Ann takes care of Anne, Canon Lesbian Relationship, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Sex, The tables have turned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 17:54:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22467448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sasna/pseuds/sasna
Summary: Shortly after Anne and Ann return from their honeymoon, bad news has already dulled their joy. Aunt Anne falls ill leaving Anne emotional, scared, and stressed at the thought of possibly losing her beloved Aunt. With her wife's composure falling away, Ann Walker decides she must do something to help her wife release some tension.
Relationships: Anne Lister (1791-1840)/Ann Walker (1803-1854)
Comments: 61
Kudos: 179





	1. Cherry

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first fic in a long time so my apologies if it's a little rusty. Hopefully, that will improve over time! This work isn't too deep just Ann being the bigger spoon for once and some hurt and comfort. This chapter isn't long or explicit, but the following will be! Comments/ feedback are much appreciated :)

I: Cherry 

The atmosphere of Shibden’s library was no longer the welcoming den of comfort and intellect as it had always been before. The night was deep, and wind howled outside with the impending storm that seemed to have been brewing on the edges of Halifax for the last week. Shadows jumped off the high walls from the flickering candles. The air hung with an absolute dread. 

Marian sat slouched in a deep-seated leather chair, arms wrapped around herself, a shawl draped over her shoulders. Ann had never seen her this miserable. Marian had her moods - mostly pertaining to Anne and understandably so. Her wife often frustrated her past the point of no return as well. But generally, Marian was not a miserable person. Her swollen green eyes told the story of absolute sorrow that had come along with her Aunt Anne’s unfortunate illness that had seized her only shortly after the newlyweds had returned from their travels. 

The two women had scarcely said a word to each other since they had sat down. All that was exchanged was mumbled concerns from Ann and Marian’s sniffling in response. She wished she could be of more condolence to her, but the truth of it was, Aunt Anne was not looking well. From what she’d heard from hushed discussions between Doctor Kenny and Anne, Aunt Anne had been wracked with a high fever and couldn’t stomach anything other than water. It was a dreadful knowledge. 

They sat stagnant until Anne entered the room some grueling minutes later, face grim, dark circles under her eyes. 

“How is she?” Marian asked, a crack like breaking glass in her voice. 

“Settled.” Her reply was curt, irritated even. Ann grew uneasy. All day the sisters had been shooting off smart remarks at each other until the inevitable argument broke out sending Marian off in tears and leaving Anne to brood with a long scowl on her face. Ann, of course, had to take the brunt of it, dealing with quips and the subtle, yet biting, temper that was Anne’s. 

“Right, then.” Marian was glaring at her sister now. “I’d appreciate it if you called Doctor Kenny next time instead of making all of these blind decisions about Aunt’s health of your own accord.” Anne stood rigid, the anger blooming on her face. 

“Doctor Kenny has been here round the clock. What do you want me to fetch him every new ache she has?” 

“No, I’d just appreciate it if you allowed other members of this family to contribute to her -” 

“By all means,” Anne shouted, throwing up her arms. “Contribute all you like, Marian. But the most I’ve seen you contribute to Aunt’s health is handing her a cup of lukewarm tea!” 

“Because I leave the medical advice to the doctors!” Marian shouted back now, rising from her chair and stamping her foot. “Which I may remind you, you are not!” 

Ann sank back in her chair, not sure exactly how to break up the dispute. Even if she could, she wasn’t sure she was ready to deal with the seething wrath that was exuding from her wife before her eyes. Of course, she’d seen her angry before, but the level of intensity now was unparalleled, even when she had allowed her to read the wretched penmanship of Thomas Ainsworth. 

“Well, I’m as good as one,” Anne said. “I’ve sat by her side, catering to her every ache and pain, since the day we’ve returned which is a hell of a lot more than you’ve ever done for anyone in this estate!” 

“Perhaps,” Ann peeped, mustering the courage to stand up to the level of the two women. “We should all retire for the night. We shan’t want to wake your Aunt for her sake.” The silence was almost more unbearable than the shouting had been. 

“I’m sorry for you, Miss Walker,” Marian said in a shrill voice, walking quickly towards the door, eyes burning into Anne. “I don’t mean for you to see us quarrel so.” 

Before the younger woman could reply with a sentiment of understanding and compassion, she had gone, brushing past her elder sister with disdain. 

Anne stood very still, quite obviously vexed, eyes refusing to meet Ann’s. Some moments passed. 

“You must be strong,” Ann breathed softly, moving towards her wife to close the space between them. It felt so wrong, so cold to be this far from her even if she was glowering with annoyance. 

“Has it occurred,” she growled, her dark eyes snapping up to Anns, “to that pretty little brain of yours, that I need someone else to be strong right now?” Her voice cracked at the end, and she tilted her head upwards, the glint of tears spilling from under her eyelids. 

“I don’t ask for much,” she whispered in defeat. “I don’t know why God keeps doing this to me. Just when I thought things were going right...” 

Anne turned to the window, her back to Ann, the chill from the outdoors permeating the atmosphere indoors. Ann knew her quiet wasn’t helping either, yet neither could think of anything right to say. Shibden seemed hollow somehow, gutted from the inside out. Anne had always prided Shibden as having some of the most warming qualities of any estate she had yet to encounter. Crow’s Nest was ornate, and shimmery- absolutely wonderful to adore and lavish- but there was no warmth, no comfort. In fact, both women were quite glad for their infrequent visits to Crow’s Nest now to avoid the chill that tore through the hallways when Ann had rattled about it on her own. Now it seemed that the chill had made a home here. 

Anne startled when she felt Ann’s hand crept up from behind her onto her waist, bringing her full body flush against Anne’s. The older woman pressed her eyes closed, a few more teardrops sliding down her nose. She felt raw and disoriented as if every nerve in her body had been exposed by the mental anguish she felt at the very thought of her family- her shabby little family- being torn apart by the loss of their matriarch. Her strength was being sucked out each time she saw her aunt lying in bed, eyes half closed, her characteristically bubbly disposition down to a mere murmur as she struggled to breathe, struggled to exist. 

“I’m sorry, Anne,” she spoke softly from behind. Her small hands squeezed her hips and her thumbs caressed the flesh that lay beneath. Anne felt the fabric of her wife’s dress shift as she stood up on her tippy nose and laid a small kiss on the nape of her neck. Her breath tickled the loose strands of dark hair that had fallen out of Anne’s bun, and she shuddered involuntarily at the sensation. 

“Let me take care of you…” Ann spoke more firmly now, her voice sweet and warm in Anne’s ear. The thought alone made Anne want to groan in pleasure. Normally, it frightened her to be at the mercy of another woman; it never gave her much pleasure. She loved watching the expressions on women’s faces as she made them tremble and writhe and ultimately completely unwind until their breathless cries were the only thing she could hear. But this was Ann. And Ann was a completely different specimen. 

The blonde’s delicate hands wasted no time in moving from her hips to her stomach rubbing and caressing; Anne felt the fervor in their movements as if Ann wanted nothing more than to tear the dark fabric from her body so she could be connected to her raw skin. But her movements were slow, teasing, like Anne had done often to her when the roles were reversed. Her left hand slid down to Anne’s clothed thigh and squeezed her flesh firmly then let her fingers graze the fabric gently. Her lap pressed forward against Anne’s behind harder now, her breath again hot on her neck. 

“Shall we go upstairs?” She intertwined her fingers into Anne’s and turned her around, sinking back into her heels. Her blue eyes were brighter than usual, glittering in the dim light of the candles, and ripe with desire. Ann could see the gentleness fill them when she saw Anne’s eyes- bleary, dark, and sad. A long, slender finger wiped away the trail of a tear that had fallen. 

“Nothing is going to hurt you tonight,” Ann said raising Anne’s palm to her lips, kissing them with care and then nuzzling it to her cheek. Again, Anne shuddered of her body’s own accord and she felt the heat inside of her raising to a level she almost couldn’t bear. Ann, seeming to sense the intensity, the passion building in her wife struggling to escape, guided Anne behind her as she took a candle into her hands and began a path to their bedroom.


	2. Scarlet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miss Walker has Anne all to herself tonight...and she's calling the shots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for keeping up with the story! I'm not an expert on like specifics of 19th-century British women's attire so if their layers sound off my bad ! Enjoy!

Nothing prepared Anne for the feeling of being tugged behind by her wife through the halls of the estate.The wind violently howled past the windows in the upstairs, and pellets of rain drummed on the roof. Though the noise of the weather was as loud as thunder itself the two were sure to be quiet as can be- the clutch each others hands their only communication. Anne watched Ann’s lovely blonde curls bob behind the light of the candle she held; every so often she turned back to glimpse at her wife, a soft smile always appearing on her lips when she saw that she was still with her, though she already knew. 

As they passed Marian’s room at the top of the steps, Anne could’ve sworn she heard muffled sobs. Ann must’ve heard too because she squeezed her hand tightly but didn’t look back. 

At the end of the hall, they slipped into Anne’s room, the younger woman closing the door softly behind them and placing the candle on Anne’s bedside table. Anne began undressing herself by her window, the shower still pattering against the windowpanes like the lullabies her mother used to sing her as a child. She had slipped off her boots, and unbuttoned her vest, slipping her collar off and placing it in the chair. 

“Let me do that,” Ann said coming over, her hand at once on the older woman’s forearm. Anne shot her a look as if to say ‘don’t be silly.’ 

“I told you I would take care of you, did I not?” Ann coaxed with a chuckle, slipping Anne’s vest off of her chest to reveal the thin cotton shirt below. Her blue eyes twinkled as she gazed into Anne’s, seeming to revel in how caught off guard her wife looked. She reached up to caress Anne’s face once more, tracing her jawline, then her lips before tilting her head up to press her own against them. 

Anne loved the feel of them, as she always did, but tonight especially they were eager and unrelenting. Soft and warm, they massaged her mouth, until Ann’s tongue slipped against her bottom lip. Anne let out a sigh, craving more, craving her whole tongue inside of her. Ann’s hands found her waist against, pulling her hips against her own, and slipping her tongue more firmly against Anne’s lips in tandem. Relenting, Anne let her tongue slip from her mouth to meet with Ann’s and was surprised with the power she was met with there. There was no question that Miss Walker would not be backing down tonight. 

Anne felt her fumbling with the back of her skirt where the buttons were, each slipping from the fabric with such care, the waistband growing looser around her hips until it fell around her legs. Standing there in her drawers and cotton top she felt particularly exposed, especially in front of a fully-clothed Ann. Though she was never one to shy away, she resisted the urge to pull away from Ann’s embrace- to cross her arms and curl in on herself. 

Ann continued to work against her lips, sliding her tongue across Anne’s teeth, her lips traveling down to kiss her chin then her jaw. Her hands explored her lightly clothed wife for a moment until she reached up and began for the buttons at Anne’s chest. 

“Ann,” immediately she grabbed the younger woman’s hands, the uncertainty too much now to contain. “Please don’t.” 

“Have I done something wrong?” she asked, her blue eyes wrought with concern, her hands still clasped in Anne’s. Sighing, Anne shook her head and lowered it. 

“I just want to remain covered is all.” Quite frankly, her unease with being completely bare in front of a woman had always made her feel strange. Of course, Ann had seen her naked, but in the state she was already in it made her tremble with fear...the territory so unpredictable it could go any which way. With her emotions already running high, she didn’t know how she would take this sudden stripping. 

“But I want to see you,” the blonde urged, running her thumb over Anne’s hand. Anne looked up to meet her once more, seeing the light back in her eyes. Nothing but pureness reflected on her delicate features. ‘Oh Ann’ she wanted to say as she seized her onto the bed. But she held very still, a tremor shooting through her as Ann began to work at the buttons again. 

The cloth fell open to reveal her torso, her full chest rising and falling beneath Ann’s amorous gaze. She looked as though she were staring up at Mont Blanc from its base as she’d done on her honeymoon- eyes lustful, mouth open and curled upward. Anne’s body was scorching hot beneath the shift and the feel of the cool bedroom air on her skin made her nipples tighten thoroughly. 

Slowly, her blue eyes darting up to meet brown pools, Ann lowered her head to her chest and latched her lips around Anne’s breast. Her legs almost buckled below her at the feel of her like this, suckling, teasing, kneading. Ann’s hands slipped the shift from off her arms, letting it fall to the ground. She kept working, her hands now traveling up and down the length of Anne’s curves. Anne had never liked to acknowledge it, but she had a very feminine body. Full breasts, wide hips and small waist. On anyone else it would have looked divine, but when she saw it on herself it looked quite out of place. Except now, Ann seemed to be drinking her shape as if it were nectar of the gods itself. 

Just as Anne was about to begin to work at the strings of Ann’s dress, her wife pulled away. 

“Get on the bed,” she commanded, her sweet voice juxtaposing the tone she had said it in. The rebellious side of Anne wanted to argue with her, to insist that she help her undress as well, but the other part was so lost in these uncharted waters she knew she was in way over her head. Perhaps, for once, she should listen to someone else for a change. She complied, feeling Ann follow her to the edge of the bed where Anne sat. 

Ann began peeling her own layers of clothing off, struggling to bring the tooly material over her head. Anne tried to conceal a chuckle but the sight of it was too sweet to ignore. 

“Let me help,” she said, rising to Ann’s side and lifting it over her. Ann met her eyes with similar humor and before Anne could assist her in any other aspect, gently Ann pushed her to sit back on the bed. She pulled her shift over her head in one swift motion and then, to Anne’s surprise, slipped her drawers off so she was completely naked. She took her pins out of her hair, shaking her head so the curls unwound themselves and fell down her back, over her shoulders. 

“Lay back, my love,” Ann whispered ushering to the mountain of pillows by the headboard. Anne swallowed, obeying. Her head sank back into the cushions and it felt curious. 

She felt Ann’s hands at the waistband of her drawers, and before she could think up any objection, they were slipped over her hips and off her legs. Immediately, Ann’s hands began the descent up her thighs, her touch feather-light. Goosebumps erupted all along her flesh, and she held back a groan and the urge to pin the blonde below her. 

Many times their sessions were slow and teasing, but Anne had never had the experience of being at her wife’s slow mercy- not like this. The ache between her thighs was growing at a rate too fast for her to counter, and she was just about to burst with eagerness when Ann straddled her leg and laid her smooth, pale thigh between Anne- right on her center. 

Anne bit down on her lip to stop herself from gasping. Like her fingers, Ann’s thigh put minimal pressure on her wife, just enough to elicit more yearning sensations almost to the point of pain. 

Anne’s eyes remained closed, nervous- terrified even- to look at the woman on top of her. If she did she wasn’t sure she could control herself. Ann’s lips pressed themselves down on Anne’s once more, gentle, a breathy sigh escaping her as she felt Anne’s breasts. Ann’s fingertips were cold, icy, and they caused the heated body beneath them to shudder and tighten with discomfort and pleasure. 

“Look at me,” Ann whispered, a hand traveling up to cradle the brunette’s tense face. Anxiety pulled at Anne every which way, but slowly her eyes crept open to meet Ann’s. Her blue eyes were wide with desire- dilated pupils and a lustful hunger within them. Anne’s own eyes widened as well, her eyebrows knitting together as the blonde raked her eyes over the length of the body below her. 

“You’re so beautiful…” Ann murmured lowering her head down to Anne’s neck, kissing the flesh of her pulse point then sucking it. Anne’s eyes welled with tears at the remark- the innocence of her words. She hardly felt beautiful, not that she much cared, but she adored the fact that Ann found her so, especially in the current state she was in. Anne’s hands flew up to Ann’s ribcage, firmly holding the small woman between her hands. Often, it unsettled her how small Ann really was; it was as if she could feel every rib heaving beneath her fingertips. Holding her like this gave her some stability, kept her from being flung off into space at her wife’s mere touch. 

Not able to handle much more of this, she tilted her pelvis upward, and bore down on Ann so more pressure could be applied where she needed it so badly. She was so incredibly wet and Ann’s thigh slipped against her, harder, with ease, as a skater glides across the smooth ice of a pond. 

“Impatient, are we?” Ann purred with a chuckle, her mouth trailing over to the hollow of Anne’s neck. Much to Anne’s dismay, the blonde relieved some of the pressure her leg had placed on her. 

“Ann, please.” Her voice came out as a whimper, and she felt the hot embarrassment of a tear stream down her temple. Frustration was building inside of her. She needed release. That’s the only concept in the world she could think about. The sudden conquering of her body that would overtake her by her wife’s own doing. 

Ann pulled herself back to look into Anne’s eyes once more, and tenderness glazed over her face at the sight of the older woman, exposed and searing beneath her. 

“Tell me what you want,” she breathed, leaning down to kiss the trail the tear had left on her cheek. Her hands traveled down to Anne’s buttocks and squeezed the flesh there. 

“You,” she mustered, grabbing onto Ann’s hips and angling them towards her. The younger woman pulled back and smiled softly down at her. 

“Say it again,” she demanded in her sweet, girly voice, stubborn as an ox always. 

“I want you, Ann,” she gritted out through her teeth, digging her fingers into her waist. Ann leaned down to work at her mouth, reapplying the pressure between her legs, softly moving harder and harder against the slick surface of her wife’s center. Breaking away for air, they gazed deeply into each other's eyes, more connected and raw than they’d felt in many moons. “I need you,” Anne breathed, a sob almost escaping her lips. She’d scarcely said those words out loud- the mere aspect of needing someone to remain sane was unfathomable to her character. She hated to think it, but the truth was, without Ann nothing made sense. 

Lifting the hand that massaged her breasts, Ann gently moved it down the length of the brunette’s body, leaving a trail of chills. Trembling, Anne knew what was going to happen next; her wife’s freezing fingertips dragged through her soft, dark curls at the apex of her thighs. Ann’s own thigh was still situated between them, gently pressing. She allowed her fingers to slip between her folds. 

Anne almost shouted out in surprise at the feel of her fingers, like icicles, against her center, burning like lava. She stroked over the velvety core under her, adding to the pressure and thrusting her pelvis forward in a rocking motion that Anne often did to her. She allowed her palm to settle on the top of her lower lips, where she knew the little bundle of nerves lay nestled and throbbing for attention. She began lightly, barely caressing her, and gradually added weight as she felt Anne writhe and respond to her movements. 

“I need all of you,” Anne said suddenly after an eerie flash of lightning illuminated the room. A chill ran over Ann’s spine and she shuddered, not sure whether it was from Anne’s words or the storm. Ann knew her wife didn’t care much for penetration; her tastes were far different from her own. The hunger in Anne’s eyes told her the whole story though. She needed all of Ann, to feel closer to her than she’d ever allowed herself before, to allow the young blonde to take all of her. 

Not wasting a moment, the blonde slid her middle finger to her opening, almost melting at the feel of her wife open and throbbing before her. She inched it inside only a bit, the gentle motion enough to send Anne’s head back with a relieved sigh escaping her. She circled it around, her wife’s skin taut but compliant to her intrusion. Farther she pressed in, curling her finger forward causing Anne’s hips to buck. She was, as it were, completely unstrung, and Ann was delighted. 

The image of her wife’s head tossed back against the pillows was one she burned into her memory permanently. Never would she forget this vulnerability, this utter power she had over Anne in these moments. Her chest had darkened to a deep scarlet, and Ann dipped her head down to capture a nipple between her teeth. Anne audibly cried out this time, and her hands flew to the sides of Ann’s head, yet she did not pull her away. She simply cradled her against her chest, as her tongue slid over the tightened skin. 

Tears streamed down Anne’s face, and she couldn’t stop them. Nothing could have prepared her for this level of intimacy between them. Ann was so gentle, yet so controlling, so confident in her ability to strip Anne of every barrier she had put up over her decades of heartbreak and pain. And here she was, completely exposed, baring herself without restraint now to the one person she knew would never hurt her. Again she cried out when Ann slipped another finger inside of her next to the first. Her palm remained pressed against the sensitive peak, and she continued the thrusting motion that brought her wife closer and closer to the edge. 

Anne felt a trickle down her thigh where Ann was situated and she almost burst right there knowing the blonde was just as aroused as she was. Again, she bucked up against her hand, feeling the release close in on her. Thunder clapped outside, and once more she jolted upwards clenching around Ann’s fingers. 

Ann lifted her head from where she had been lavishing Anne’s chest and saw the brunette, eyes wet and squeezed closed, biting her lip so hard a small drop of blood had formed. She continued pumping her fingers in and out of her and brought her other hand to caress her face. Ann kissed her tears, tasting their salt, their pain on her tongue, then kissed her lips hard. Roughly, she pushed her tongue in her mouth, ran it across her teeth, tasting the faint tang of blood. 

“Look at me,” she said forcibly, pulling away to see Anne’s whole face. It seemed almost painful for her to pry her eyes open, bloodshot and weary. They looked at her with absolute trust, as if to finally say ‘do what you must to me.’ Ann knew, even if the older woman wanted to speak, she wouldn’t be able to, not now. Her lips were wet and open as heavy gasps came out from deep within her, as though pent up for ages and finally gaining release. 

Ann’s thumb found where her palm had been, and pressed against it firmly. Her fingers felt her body tense and shudder. Ann knew how close she must be and began working harder, faster. Her fingers drove in and out of her, curling upwards, her thumb rubbing in fast, little circles. 

“Let me feel you,” she whispered in a low voice, still studying her eyes which had now fallen half closed now. Her cheeks were as red as her chest now, and Ann felt her begin to tremble with release. 

“Yes, Anne,” the blonde said, working her fingers harder. “Let me feel you.” She placed her mouth against her wife’s, open and panting below her. Her muscles began to tighten firmly around her fingers, her pelvis bucking upward against her thumb. She cried out in gasps against Ann’s mouth. Had there not been a storm raging outside the rest of the Listers surely would’ve heard. 

“I love you, Anne,” her wife whispered against her lips as she began to sedate, involuntary jerks shooting through her still. The clenching had stopped, but Ann continued to move her fingers, more slowly now as to not hurt the area that had surely grown sensitive with release. 

Anne’s eyes were closed once more, her breathing ragged and deep. “I love you,” she whimpered, like a child. That little voice was all she could muster. Ann slipped her fingers from between her legs and Anne shuddered with their departure. Her brown eyes crept open to see the blonde bring them to her lips and suck them, staring into her wife’s eyes below. 

‘She’s going to be the death of me’ Anne thought to herself, her heart fluttering at the sight of the blonde tasting her. 

“You’re like honey,” Ann muttered with a soft smile, leaning in to place a small kiss on the corner of Anne’s mouth. “I’ve never tasted anything so good.” 

Anne began moving her hands up the length of Ann’s small frame, intent on regaining her strength so that she could give her wife the same level of satisfaction that she’d given her. 

“I think I need more of you,” the blonde whispered, trailing her mouth over her jawline and back to her lips. Quickly, Anne began to shift her weight so that she could situate herself to roll on top of her, but Ann refused to comply, leaning back and peering down at her with tender authority in her eyes. 

“I don’t believe I said I was done with you, Miss Lister.”


	3. Crimson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann gets more of a *taste* of Anne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for everyone sticking with this! I'll try to have the last chapter up soon :) Enjoy!

Anne’s heart continued to pound beneath her chest, as she sat watching Ann above her- so pleased at the sight of her unwound partner. Her dark eyes grew wide, unease creeping back through her. Whatever Ann had in store, it would surely breach more ground than had already been. She supposed tonight Ann planned on covering the whole plane. 

“What are you going to do to me?” She asked, her voice wavering slightly. Ann cocked her head to the side. 

“Hmm…,” she hummed, her eyes traveling up to look over Anne’s face her expression slightly amused. “Everything.” Her voice was final as if daring Anne to challenge her authority again. 

The storm raged on outside and rain tore at the windows; the rumble of thunder so loud that it seemed to penetrate their bones. 

Ann suddenly reached behind her wife’s head and began pulling out the pins that held her lopsided bun together. The majority had fallen out, but she allowed it to completely come loose, combing it forward around Anne’s strong shoulders. 

“There,” she said satisfied, allowing the pins to slip through fingers onto the floor. “Better?” She ran her fingers through the dark, loose curls, twirling the strands around her fingers. 

“You’re perhaps the most exquisite creature I’ve ever seen,” Ann purred, burrowing her lips once more in the brunette’s neck. Anne trembled beneath her, her hands grabbing the blonde’s waist as if for stability more than anything. 

“I can’t…,” Anne said with a soft whine, digging her fingers into her sides. Ann pulled back from her jaw, looking deeply into them, but understanding exactly why she was hesitant- after all, she had been there once before and not that long ago. It seemed like yesterday when they were seated side by side - uncommonly close together for the friends they were supposed to be- at Crow Nest. Ann had hung onto every word that had dripped out of Anne’s mouth, and the utter surprise when Anne had proposed to kiss her...well… nothing had been the same since. 

“I’m frightened,” Anne said, so meekly and shyly, that Ann was sure she had imagined it. But the tears welling in her brown orbs told her that she had heard it all correctly. A pang of sorrow rocked through her heart, and momentarily she wanted to string up every person who had hurt Anne, to cause her to doubt herself so and any intimacy that revolved around her own vulnerability. It simply wasn't fair that a woman this good could be so used and mistreated. 

“It’s me,” Ann brought her hands to the brunettes and guided them to her slight chest. She placed her wife’s hand over her left side, right above where her heartbeat, steady and constant as a drum. “Do you feel it?” Anne nodded, her hands clammy against Ann’s cool, smooth skin. Her eyes remained fixed on her wife’s small breasts, her rosy nipples taut and beautiful in the light of the dwindling candle. 

“It beats only for you,” she whispered, leaning closer to her, touching her nose to hers. “I want you to feel good.” She kissed the tip pulling away with a small smile upon her lips. “I want to taste you.” 

Ann began to slide down her body before she had the chance to form any words, nibbling her neck and slipping her fingers into Anne’s so that she didn’t feel alone. She favored her collarbones that jutted out of her chest, lavishing the strong bones beneath her creamy, tan skin. Her breasts were next in line, she slipped her nipple between her teeth and bit lightly. Hearing Anne gasp, she quickly slid her tongue over it to make up for the temporary pain. Her hand found her other breast and kneaded the full flesh beneath, running her thumb over her nipple. 

The feeling of Anne placid beneath her was almost enough for Ann to reach her own release. Her center was aching more-so than it ever had before, and she couldn’t resist bearing down once more on her wife’s leg, freeing her mouth so that she could groan. She felt her wife’s wetness against her leg and resisted the almost uncontrollable urge to thrust her pelvis against her until she collapsed in a heap. God this woman could undo her just by simply existing. 

Farther she slid down, not sure how much more of this teasing she could bear much less Anne. Though she had just had a release, Ann could tell how much more she needed another. Her breath had become ragged and shallow. She’d wound her up so much tonight, to taunt her any more would be cruel. 

Ann’s tongue rolled over her warm, heaving stomach, laying a sweet kiss on her belly button. Her eyes shot up to meet Anne’s who looked down at her with such innocence and love, Ann almost sobbed in delight. 

Then, she was at the place she needed to be at the most. Her curls were damp with the result of her last episode, and Ann lay a gentle kiss on them. She edged her tongue along the opening of her lips, her arms now wrapping around her thighs, but still clutching onto Anne’s hand who squeezed her tightly. She was nestled fully between her wife’s legs, and it shamed her that this her first time doing so. Anne, the woman who had given her everything, deserved this and more, and Ann vowed to fill her with more pleasure than ever and not just tonight. 

“Ann,” her voice was husky, and her blue eyes darted up to meet hers. “Are you certain that-?” Before she could finish, Ann plunged her tongue deep within her, fed up with the objections. Her brown eyes sunk closed, and she collapsed back on the pile pillows behind her. 

“God,” Anne sighed, no other words being able to form upon her trembling lips. The world had exploded in fireworks of color- violet, gold, cerulean and crimson. She felt nothing else but the feel of Ann’s warm, eager tongue, curling and nestling inside of her in a way that no one ever had. She’d had women between her thighs before, though not often and never like this, never so intimate, never so pleasurable. Never had she thought Ann would be the one to evoke this pleasure from her. But here she was, lapping and sucking at her with such determination. 

Ann’s eyes remained locked on Anne’s face the whole time, watching every subtle expression on her face though her eyes remained squeezed shut. Truth be told, she was nervous her work wasn’t the best Anne may have had. She tried to mimic what the older woman did to her, sliding her tongue upwards and allowing her lips to settle against her, as if kissing her mouth. It was divine, reverent even, this moment. Ann would be content here forever, suspended in time, showering Anne’s most sensitive region with all her affections. 

With her free hand that wasn’t laced within Anne’s, Ann grabbed Anne’s other hand and gently guided it to the back of her head. She wanted her to guide her, hoping to learn what she liked, what felt the most good to her. Anne’s eyes remained shut, but her hands wound around her long strands and pressed her closer to her center. Her hips bucked up against her mouth, grinding down against the pressure of her tongue and lips. Again and again, they rose to meet the mingling of Ann’s lips, swollen and wet. 

Her taste was unlike anything she’d ever had the pleasure of encountering before- sweet - like nectar. It made it all the more enjoyable for her tongue to caress the velvet of her insides. Anne’s upward movements became fevered and sloppy, her head tilting to one side as her hand fisted tightly at the ringlets of Ann’s blonde hair. She was so close. 

“Let me see you, Anne.” Momentarily, Ann broke away to utter those words, then closed the gap, back to suckling and delving into her. Groaning, Anne lifted her head, her eyes soft and open, her mouth red and beautiful. 

The moment her brown eyes connected with Ann’s, ready and gazing up at her, mouth over her core, she lost control. Her body clenched in rapture, waves riding through her unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She cried out, louder than she would have liked. Even the thunder and rain could not conceal the yelp that had been drawn out of her. But nothing else mattered now, but this moment. 

She continued to rock against her mouth, savoring that she was so connected to her, so afraid of the feelings that were to follow. 

Tremors ran through her long after her time was over. She tugged gently at Ann’s hair to release her. She was so sensitive, so used up she almost couldn’t articulate the one syllable of her lover’s name. 

“Ann,” she breathed. The blonde smirked, laying one last kiss at her center, and sliding up her body to meet her wife’s lips. Anne tasted herself on her and wanted to hide away, to conceal herself. 

“How do you feel?” Her voice was amused, her eyes kind and delighted. Ann felt good having pleased her so very much in this way. Normally, she would’ve asked her if she’d done a good job, but judging from her absolute yells, there was no question of her talents. 

“I don’t think I can think of a word for it right now,” Anne replied with a soft laugh. She was absolutely spent; she couldn’t move her body an inch if she wanted to. 

Ann slid her hand around Anne’s shoulders, nestling close to her chest, closing her eyes as she listened to the thrumming of her heart. Her own heart was so full of joy, of delight, she could almost cry. She merely smiled, content. 

“You’ll have to forgive me, I just need to regain myself before-” 

“Oh Anne,” the blonde huffed, frustrated. “I’ve said it before, and I shall say it again, you must relax tonight.” She pressed a kiss to her pulse point. “I love taking care of you.” 

“I don’t know how much more of your work I can handle,” Anne said honestly, never having gone this many rounds in such a short time. 

“I guess we shall find out.”


	4. Burgandy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter with top Miss Walker!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who commented and read! I hope you enjoyed!

The girl was crazy- no, not crazy. Crazy wasn’t a strong enough word for what she was- barking, howling mad was more like it. No, this was not the sweet-natured woman she had taken the sacrament with. Anne wondered what demon had possessed her to become the wicked, controlling fiend on top of her. Her eyes were alight with mischief and she could only pray that by the end of this she’d still have the ability to walk. Oddly enough, she felt a slight tug of hope for it all...only earlier that night she’d be on the verge of committing herself to an institution by her sister’s nagging, her aunt’s horrible state. And as if on cue, Ann had inserted herself against her wife, knowing all the right things to say, to do to have her forget and refresh her emotional palette. 

Ann had never felt so proud of herself. Of course, she’d always allowed Anne to take the reigns. She knew she’d had at least a little bit more experience than her (poor girl still didn’t know all of Anne’s prolonged sexual history), and was more than willing to let her lavish her to her heart’s content. But there was something so fulfilling about seeing how unwound her wife could become, the strong barriers peeling away one at a time with each orgasm that wracked through her. And she couldn’t get enough, and her wife, still shaking slightly from her last one, would just have to deal with that. 

Eagerly, she pressed her lips against the woman below her, smiling against her mouth, unable to contain the overwhelming feeling of pride rolling through her (amongst other things). Anne pulled away, breathing deeply and curious look on her face. 

“I didn’t know you had it in you, Ms. Walker,” she murmured, stroking a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear. Ann paused for a moment, tilting her head to the side and cupping her wife’s face. 

“That’s Mrs. Lister to you,” she said with a shy smile, knowing just how happy this would make her. 

All at once, their lips were together once more, tender and loving. Ann had seated herself back on the crux of Anne’s thigh and was pressing down with more eagerness than ever before. Her instincts had taken over fully, no longer guided by rationale, but by drive, the pure biological need for sexual fulfillment. She lodged her leg once more against Anne’s center, hearing her groan with surprise at the sharp pressure at her region- still sensitive and throbbing.

Ann placed her hands on the bed on either side of Anne’s head, and began moving her hips against her thigh in circles. Just as she was about to bear down more, Anne shifted her thigh closer to the bed, taking some of the Godly sensations away. 

“Oh, so you don’t like to be teased?” Anne said with a chuckle in response to the frustrated look the blonde shot her. 

“I can make this very difficult for you, Anne,” Ann replied narrowing her eyes and grinning. “And I think I will.” Almost immediately, Anne regretted it. Her wife was in rare form tonight, and ‘difficult’ and her name being used in a sentence was not a form of consolation. 

With her newfound prowess, Ann’s hand snaked down between Anne’s thighs and began to stimulate her. Not too hard, not too soft, she moved her fingers circles in circles over her flesh having abandoned her own pleasure for now. She moved fluidly, like water, over her watching her slowly give in once more. She resisted from kissing her or touching her in any other way but this- committed to watching and feeling and listening. 

Anne lifted her leg once more to reconnect with Ann’s wet center, feeling a little bad at having baited her wife so. 

“No,” Ann snipped, pushing it back down with her free hand. 

“But-” 

“Hush,” she whispered, still working and moving like this was her new passion in life- maybe it was. 

It didn’t take long for Anne to lean back into the pillows once more, rolling her hips, tipping close to the edge. She was just about to reach her peak when Ann pulled her hand away, Anne’s core jolting up into empty space. 

“What?” She asked in a husky voice, eyes sparkling and a high color on her cheeks. Ann climbed off of her. 

“Sorry, I’m thirsty.” She smirked, tossing her blonde curls over her shoulder and padding over to the pitcher by the window to pour herself a glass. She marveled at the rain that slammed against the windows, making a few nonchalant remarks to the brunette about it who lay confused and exasperated. Momentarily, she resumed her position on top of her, letting the time stray for her hands to start again at her core. 

“You have an unmerciful side, I see,” Anne breathed, as she slipped back over her. “God, you never fail to surprise me.” Instantly the frustration peeled away, and once more she was submerged in a chamber of pleasure. Nothing beat her wife’s fingers, teasing her opening, rolling over the flesh at a pace that was so perfect. She moved her hips against her slender, thin fingers, almost unable to wait until she was done so that she could ravish her generously. She was so close, so close to falling over the Cliffs of Moher and succumbing to an instant impact with the most powerful force she could muster when Ann slipped away from her once more. 

“For heaven's sake, Ann,” Anne huffed, grabbing a pillow behind her head in exasperation. She was absolutely throbbing, her whole body now feeling the ache from her center that had spread at the result of her wife’s games. 

“I think I’m actually in the mood for a biscuit or something of the likes,” she said with mock contemplation, her hand on her chin mimicking Socrates. She then spun to face her back to Anne, a waterfall of hair falling down her figure long enough to touch the dimples of her lower back. 

“Really, Ann? A biscuit?” Anne couldn’t suppress the giggle though she was totally a wreck. “I suppose I’ll just finish the job myself.” As she expected, her wife spun around to face her once more. 

“Oh no, you will not.” Ann climbed back on top of her, pressing a firm kiss to her lips. She pressed against her thigh once more, shooting her a glance as if to dare her to try anything again. The wetness of her center allowed her to slide over Anne’s skin with such ease that within no time she had reached the point of no return. Her hand had slipped down to her wife’s center, which she knew was aching for one more ten-second span of immense pleasure. She barely had begun to work at her again before her wife began to shake and clench her whole body, perhaps the most powerful orgasm of the night. Sloppily, she thrust against her palm, her eyes raking over Ann’s body as she ground her body against her lap. She panted and drops of sweat ran down her face. She was unable to get enough of it. 

Anne sat up, an arm supporting Ann's back so she wouldn’t slip away. Ann's body did not stop it’s movements, frenzied and desperate, her eyes losing some of the mischief that had been so prevalent before and that were now yearning and pure. Knowing exactly what to do now that she was no longer fussy, she dropped her hand in her wife’s center, moaning at the wetness she finally got to feel there. She’d been craving this part all night as wonderful as Ann’s attention was. 

In and out she plunged her fingers, taking time to massage her peak of nerves, then shifting back further. She nipped at her throat as her head was tossed back. Her hands were back in Anne’s hair, clinging to her. Their bodies were now moving in one rocking motion, in tandem and so completely satisfying. The feeling, not even the sex, of being so connected to a person that there are no distinct lines between what movement belongs to who was enough to almost bring Anne back to tears. 

“Oh!” Ann’s cries were loud and long as she peaked, their movements slowing as she continued to thrust and rise and fall on Anne’s hand. 

They fell back, Ann in a heap on Anne’s chest. Still, she smiled, turning her eyes up to meet the brunette’s who looked just as tired yet still aglow with the recent release of hormones. 

“You never have to be on your own, you know,” Ann breathed, noticing a single tear running down Anne’s face not sure if from happiness or utter emotion. “I will always be here to pull you out of darkness.” 

“Really?” Anne’s eyes were soft, but the hurt behind them still shone through. Ann knew she couldn’t fix the damage that had been done, not in one night at least. But they were one step closer. 

“I wouldn’t want to live a life without you.” Ann pressed her lips to her neck, breathing in her scent- sweat and Anne. 

“Thank you for tonight,” the brunette said, lifting up Ann’s head to look into her eyes. “You don’t know how much it means to me.” Ann grinned, kissing her softly. 

“You’d better get used to it.” 

The morning brought a lackluster air and slate gray sky. The rain had finally stopped sometime in the early morning- 5 am or so. It was still a dreary day. Most people would have still preferred the thunder for the entertainment or marvel at least. 

Anne awoke to the space beside her empty. It wasn’t frequent she woke up to an empty bed; Ann had a penchant for sleep and herself awoke almost consistently before 6. 

Quickly, she dressed, passing her Aunt’s room, hesitating to knock but then deciding against it. Later. She headed downstairs, finding Marian, Ann, and her father seated around the breakfast table. Her father’s head was bowed low, not in sadness but because he was fast asleep. 

“Good morning,” Ann said, slyly looking at her out of the corner of her eye. 

“Morning,” she replied, her eyes looking over both her sister's face and her wife to see what the atmosphere of the room was. Marian looked tense, but not nearly as angry as she had been last night. 

“Long night, Anne?” she quipped casually, avoiding her eyes as she buttered a piece of bread. Anne’s eyes shot up to meet her wife’s across the table- amused and stifling a laugh. They had not much thought about their cries until now. 

“Not really,” she answered, biting into a biscuit. 

“I was thinking of calling Doctor Kenny today…” she trailed off, now looking hesitantly at her to see what her elder sister’s opinions were, though she had recently just criticized them so last night. 

“Do what you must, Marian,” Anne said, not in bad faith, but in truth. She wouldn’t stop her from doing it, and perhaps it was for the better to see her Aunt’s illness through other eyes. 

She had a feeling the day would be long and sad and maybe she would cry at the sight of her Aunt heaped on the bed with death wracking through her, but looking up at the blue eyes across from her, filled with more kindness and love than any being she’d ever encountered, she knew she never had to fear handling it alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was so much fun to write! If anyone has any recommendations for what to write next, please lmk. I was thinking of doing an AU but I'm not totally sure I can see doing that with these two...we'll see!


End file.
